Flash Movie Review: The Amateur
IT WAS ONE OF MY BIGGEST pet peeves when I was younger and it still is one of my biggest pet peeves as I get older. I cannot stand when someone says they will do something then not follow through with it. I would always get annoyed when an elementary school friend would tell me they will call me on a certain day then never call. Or, when a relative would say to me they found something in their attic they think I would like, but never show it to me, despite the implications they wanted me to have it. As I grew older, I verbalized my displeasure in a friendly way to a few friends who were always saying they would do something with me, but never followed through with it; even when I would call as a follow up, they would tell me they would have to get back with me, to let me know when we could get together. I learned a long time ago not to put much effort into those friends and relatives who habitually told me one thing but did something entirely different. I had one friend who actually made plans to get together with me but then cancel at the last minute. They would reschedule but as the date neared they would cancel again. This used to upset me because I would keep the date and time open, declining other offers, then wind up with nothing to do because they backed out at the last minute. Talk about adding fuel to my anger and annoyance. IN THE WORKPLACE, I WOULD FIND myself getting annoyed with fellow employees and bosses who did not follow through with what they told me they would do. I had one boss who was always late giving me my annual performance review, which was used partially to justify to upper management the reason for me getting a salary increase. My boss would send me short emails that said they were working on my review, pushing back the date for our one-on-one meeting, then cancel the meeting at the last minute. It drove me crazy. In the workplace, I truly understand things come up and meetings have to be rescheduled; however, for my boss to go through this same scenario each year made me believe he was just a procrastinator. Outside of the workplace, it drives me crazy when a person repeats the same plan over and over. I have a relative who has always ended our get togethers with the same phrase each time. They tell me they will have me over for a BBQ and sit out on their backyard deck. We are going on four years with me hearing them say this each time we are together, but never following up with an actual invite. So you can see why I would act similarly to the main character in this spy, action thriller when he felt his superiors were not following up on the evidence he gathered for them. WHEN A CIA EMPLOYEE’S WIFE IS killed in a terrorist attack, he decides to take matters in his own hands to hunt down his wife’s killers, even if the agency does not follow up on the evidence he has accumulated. With Rami Malek (No Time to Die, The Little Things) as Heller, Rachel Brosnahan (Patriots Day, The Finest Hours) as Sarah, Jon Bernthal (The Accountant 2, The Unforgivable) as The Bear, Evan Milton (Eyewitness: D-Day, The Lost Pirate Kingdom-TV) as Slater, and Nick Mills (Shilo, Succession-TV) as Finn; the script for this film was not always believable. Some of the scenes were far-fetched and unrealistic. Adding in Rami’s performance, I found it to be an odd mixture of awkward nerdiness vs. cold killer. Some of his scenes displayed a creativeness that was fascinating to watch. But what kept throwing me was his unemotional reactions to some of the violent scenes. Still, I was feeling entertained, remaining hopeful that the “good guy” would eventually prevail. I also appreciated that the advertising for this movie pretty much showed you what to expect from the story. There were several scenes filled with blood and violence.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Accountant 2
THE OPPORTUNITIES SHE WAS MENTIONING WERE ones that never occurred, let alone been uttered, when I was in school. She talked about having multiple aides in the classroom whose sole purpose was to work individually with one assigned student. There were plans laid out for the student with goals and rewards to help their progression. The thing that amazed me the most was her telling me the other students in the classroom were aware of these group of students’ special needs. When I was growing up, I do not recall ever hearing the terms autism or on the spectrum. My science class was the only place I heard about spectrums and it had nothing to do with where a student might lie on the autism spectrum. Not one teacher ever broached the subject and it never appeared in any of our textbooks. This relative telling me about the things available for special needs students is an elementary school teacher. Out of a class of twenty-five students, there are six that need extra attention. The stories she told us about these students varied from heartbreaking to amazing. One student cannot sit still and focus for more than ten seconds before something else draws their attention away; there has not been one test they have passed since attending the school. Another student has little self control, yelling out of turn and fidgeting constantly in their seat. At least, these students have help from the moment they enter the school until the time they leave. FROM HER STORIES AND DESCRIPTIONS, I sat back and thought about the students that were in my classes. I now can say with certainty there were students who were on the spectrum. I have no idea if they were assessed or not, but there never was any extra help for them, nor did any of the students know what was going on with them. Instead, the majority of them were labeled losers, dorks, and other words that simply are too inappropriate to mention here. They were picked on and teased, some to a horrific level of abuse. The other students knew something was wrong but without any guidance, their imaginations came up with reasons these students acted the way they did. Stuff like, they were dropped on their head at birth or the doctors had to use a large set of pliers to get them out of their mother’s stomach. When I think about it, it was truly an awful, even at times hostile, environment for these kids. And the sad thing about all of this is when I graduated to being a high school freshman, I never saw any of those elementary students in the high school. After seeing this dramatic thriller, I think if any of those past students in my elementary school classes who were on the spectrum had the skills the main character had in this sequel, they would have had such an easier time in the school. WHEN HER BOSS IS FOUND DEAD, with a cryptic message sprawled on his arm, a treasury agent finds herself working with a man who does not follow the rules to solve the perplexing mystery. With Ben Affleck (Deep Water, This is Me…Now) as Christian Wolff, Jon Bernthal (The Amateur, Origin) as Braxton, Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Colombiana, The People We Hate at the Wedding) as Marybeth Medina, J.K. Simmons (Red One, Juror #2) as Ray King, and newcomer Allison Robertson as Justine; this action crime mystery had a hefty dose of the first movie built into it. The difference was the added cast members; they provided an interesting and at time humorous mix to the story. These is a lot of violence and blood in this picture, so if you can get past that, the movie can be entertaining. It helped that the story line had a pull the heartstring factor in it because there were times the script felt clunky and farfetched. The surprise for me was when the script did a 180 degree turn and had touching moments; those moments could have even been explored further in this film and I would not have minded. For pure escapism and some interesting performances, this picture kept my attention as long as I did not think about it too much.
2 3/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Luckiest Man in America
BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I picked the right squares, I thought I should be a contestant when I grew up. One of my favorite game shows was one that had a game board made up of 30 squares. Behind each square was a prize; the contestants would pick two squares at a time which would reveal two prize offerings. If the two prizes matched, then the contestant would keep the prize and the two squares would reveal glimpses of a rebus puzzle. This was a puzzle that used illustrations, letters, and numbers to depict words or phrases. The contestant who could guess what the puzzle was saying would be the winner. I felt my memory skills were exceptional, though I really had nothing to base this on. However, when I was very little a relative taught me a card game that had a similar concept as the game show. After shuffling the deck, the cards would be laid out face down in several rows. Each player would get two guesses at a time to turn over two cards. If the cards matched the numbers or pictures, the player would take the two cards. Once all the cards were removed from the rows, the player with the most cards would be the winner. I became quite good at this game, and would even play it by myself. THROUGH MY YOUTH, THERE WERE OTHER television game shows I watched. There was one where audience members were picked to come up and guess the prices of various consumer products, from a bottle of toilet bowl cleaner to refrigerators and stoves. Another show paired contestants together where one would give a one word clue to try and get their partner to say the secret word. I would play along at home by turning the sound off and not looking at the secret word when it was announced and flashed across the bottom of the television screen. Then I would quickly turn the sound back up and guess when the person would say their one word clue. Though I did not keep track of all my answers, I felt i was getting a decent amount of the answers correctly. Since I was an avid reader from a young age, my favorite type of game shows involved words, whether putting them in a crossword puzzle, or trying to make different words out of the letters of a single word; I always made a point to watch the television shows that involved words. My favorite was the show, “Wheel of Fortune” because it was based on a kid’s game I would play called “Hangman.” I thought for sure I would be a fantastic player to have on the show. However, I could never do what the main character did in this dramatic thriller. JUST BY THE STROKE OF LUCK, an unemployed ice cream truck driver was chosen to participate in a television game show. It turned out his playing skills were off the charts. With Paul Walter Hauser (Richard Jewel, Cobra Kai-TV) as Michael, Walton Goggins (The White Lotus-TV, Django Unchained) as Peter, Shamier Anderson (Bruiser, Invasion-TV) as Chuck, David Strathairn (A Little Prayer, Where the Crawdads Sing) as Bill, and Brian Geraghty (The Hurt Locker, Chicago P.D.-TV) as Ed; this film based on a true story stuck out due to the wonderful cast. All the actors were perfectly in synch with their characters which was fortunate because the script needed a little more work. The story was amazing; I might have to search for old footage just to see how Paul’s character compares to the real contestant. The story takes place in 1984 and the sets and costumes were spot on. There were moments of tension, excitement, thrills and heartbreak; but I wished the writers would have fleshed out more to the characters’ back stories. But, I still enjoyed watching this picture and stayed engaged for the most part. It should be no surprise that there a was little part of me that wished I could have been a contestant on this game show.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Friend
I LIVE AMONG OBJECTS WHOSE OWNERS I barely know. There is an ivory colored wash basin with matching water pitcher sitting on top of a book case. A mantle clock with intricate carvings on either side of the face that has Roman numerals for the numbers: 1, 2, 3, etc. One of the more unusual items is wrapped in fabric similar to burlap. In the middle of it is a sword. The silver handle has dulled over the years, and hanging down from it is a loop of gold braided cord with a small tassel attached at the bottom. These items I just listed are from relatives who are long deceased, at least as far back as three generations of family members. The only thing I know about the owners is where they came from and their connection to me. For example, I have a reproduction of an ancient photo that is hanging up in the hallway. There are two women pictured in the photo, the older one is seated with the other one standing next to her. I do not know their names but do know what they are to me. The seated woman is my great, great, great grandmother who was too old to emigrate with the family when they came to America. She was alive when Napoleon invaded Russia. The woman standing next to her was my great, great aunt who agreed to stay back and take care of our relative. OUT OF ALL THESE TREASURED OBJECTS, there are two that stand out for me. One is a small silver wine cup that my great, great, great grandfather, from the other side of the family, only used when it was a holiday. The cup is tarnished and I need to polish it so I can make out the etchings that go all the way around the cup. The idea that my great, great, great grandfather had his hand and lips touching it makes the cup more real to me, for some reason. Whenever I look at the wine cup, I imagine my relative sitting at a long dining room table with our family members in attendance, sharing a meal during the holidays. It makes me feel connected to them. The other object that is significant to me is a gold coin that a relative had sealed in a plastic case. This gold coin was my grandfather’s, who died before I was born. He would always carry it in his trouser pants every single day. I have to assume he thought of it as some type of good luck charm. All of these items provide me with a connection to my heritage, my family tree. Imagine the time when these items are handed down to the next generation; it will be their turn to safeguard and respect them. Though all of these objects are man-made, there are other things that may not be, but are still as important, such as the thing the main character receives from her deceased friend/mentor in this drama. A NOVELIST AND CREATIVE WRITING TEACHER has her life thrown into disarray when she becomes the caretaker for her deceased friend’s dog, a Great Dane. In her small New York City apartment, she will have to come to terms with her mentor’s death and its ramifications. With Bill Murray (The Greatest Beer Run Ever, On the Rocks) as Walter, Naomi Watts (Goodnight Mommy, This is the Night) as Iris, Cloe Xhauflaire (The House, The First Purge) as Camille, Josh Pais ( Joker, Spoiler Alert) as Jerry, and Carla Gugino (Snake Eyes, Gunpowder Milkshake) as Elaine; this film stood out simply because of Naomi’s performance as well as the dog’s. Though the script had some misfires in it, the writers never took the easy way out with slapstick humor or unrealistic scenarios. With the acting skills of the cast, the story was told in a straight forward way that allowed the actors to breathe and grow with their characters. This was most apparent with Naomi’s character and it is what kept me engaged with the story. Also, it was a nice change of pace to have a steady paced film that left out the theatrics and marketing tie-ins which made the story’s journey more believable.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Sinners
FROM THE EARLY START OF MY career path, I learned the latest or newest “thing” came with a short shelf life. One of my first full time jobs was at a long established company that sold wholesale goods. Our competition consisted of several companies, half which were local. I quickly realized all of us sold, for the most part, the same items. This made me wonder how a customer chooses which company to buy from when they all were selling the same goods. It became apparent to me that people obviously buy on the cheapest price for the most part; however, there was something more that swayed customers’ decisions. Paying attention to the different departments that were involved with a sale, I realized it was customer service, the relationship between sales and the customer. Making a significant connection to the client was vital in establishing that relationship. Another component was the company’s policies. For us, we never questioned returns and were quick to ship out replacements before receiving the damaged/flawed goods back to our warehouses. Many times we would simply send the replacement item at no charge, and this was at a time before the creation of the huge online companies many of us deal with these days. The last piece to this mind puzzle was creating packaging that caught the client’s eye. This is where my job responsibilities came into play. THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY SIGNED a contract with a new manufacturing company that was just starting out. He loved their product and moved quickly to secure a relationship with them. We were going to be the first to carry their line in the states, but only for a short period of time. My boss came and asked me to create a marketing campaign for the new line. I loved the idea because I would be able to use the creative side of my brain. It became my job to create advertising packages for the several items we were to carry, designing the sample books, and coming up with naming each item. Because at the time I was heavy into science fiction films and literature, I created an “outer space” theme to the campaign. I named each line a word that recently acquired a science fiction definition to its established one. Words such as photon, ray gun, and interplanetary were on my list of name options. Though I am not an artist by any means, i was able to precisely detail the artwork we needed with my descriptive text. The new line became a huge success for us; I was elated and proud. In the back of my mind, I knew this would be short-lived, and sure enough once we passed the exclusivity expiration date our competitors quickly acquired rights and began selling the same products we had been. This experience continues to remind me that newest and freshest is a fleeting moment; there is always someone who wants part of your success. It certainly was apparent in this dramatic horror thriller. WANTING TO START A NEW LIFE, twin brothers return to their homeland to open a business. Its opening success attracted more than profitability. With newcomer Miles Caton as Sammie Moore, Saul Williams (Blink Twice, Akilla’s Escape) as Jeddiah, Andrene Ward-Hammond (The Lovebirds, Project Power) as Ruthie, Michael B. Jordan (Creed franchise, A Journal for Jordan) as Smoke, and Jack O’Connell (Back to Black, Lady Chatterley’s Lover) as Remmick; I was mesmerized by the original story in this supernatural film. Add in the fine acting, and I found myself totally engaged with the story lines. Every scene offered something interesting, whether it was the acting, action, script lines; I found the whole movie totally cohesive and logical. Lately, it has not been often where I feel I got my money’s worth, but with this picture I felt every penny was well spent. There were multiple scenes filled with blood and violence.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: A Minecraft Movie
FOR THE MAJORITY OF MY FRIENDS who do not have my ability, some say gift, I can help them see what I am seeing. From my earliest memories, i always had this ability to see something more than what the object was made for. A whisk broom (do they even make those anymore?) in my hands became a missile or rocket ship, where the bristles were the flames coming out from the engines. A strainer covering a turned on pocket flashlight was a device that sent stars onto the ceiling of my bedroom. With a spatula in my hand, I would pretend I was chopping through enemy castles’ gates which were really closet doors. I did the same thing with clouds. Sitting out in the backyard, looking up to the sky, I could show my friends all the things the sky contained, from an automobile to a vampire bat to a man’s face. When school started for me, i would do the same thing in the classroom, seeing the chalkboard eraser as the enemy’s secret weapon that would wipe out fields of letters. There were a few times the teacher would call me out for not paying attention, because I was either staring out the window or at the art supplies stacked on a shelf, anywhere but where i was supposed to be looking, namely the teacher showing us something on the blackboard. EVEN TO THIS DAY, I CAN find something hidden or unique in something else. I especially like paintings or photographs of floral landscapes because usually I can find a face or animal hidden in the way the shadows mingle with the sunlight on blooms and leaves. If memory serves me correctly, some time ago I mentioned how a raccoon ate a hole in my roof. One day I walked up into the attic which I used for storage and saw a beam of sunlight shining down like a spotlight. Instead of thinking about who can I call to repair it, I stared at the hole and imagined it being a skylight, seeing how more light coming in would brighten the darkened space that only had one little window at the very back of the attic. As you can see, my imagination has always been overactive and quite vivid. I remember how much I used to enjoy rainy Saturdays when I was a kid because it meant I could play in the living room all day with all the things our household contained. As I sat and watched this action, adventure fantasy; I thought the creators of the video game this film was based on were some very creative individuals. PULLED UNEXPECTEDLY INTO A WORLD WHERE one needs to have an imagination to survive, a small group of individuals will need to work together if they ever want to see their homes again. With Jason Momoa (Aquaman franchise, Fast X) as Garrett, Jack Black (Dear Santa, The Big Year) as Steve, Sebastian Hansen (Just Mercy, Mozart in the Jungle-TV) as Henry, Emma Myers (Family Switch, Wednesday-TV) as Natalie, and Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple, Orange is the New Black-TV) as Dawn; this comedy’s filled with imaginative scenes. I have never seen or played the video game, so I was a little unclear about what was taking place at first. However, things soon began to fall in place and I tried to get into the story. Not being a big fan of slapstick, there were scenes that were filled with it, which makes sense when Jack Black is cast in a fantasy picture. My attention kept going in and out of the story, but at least I was enjoying the visuals and special effects. To a gamer or young child, this film will probably be a bit hit for them. As for me, I think I was just too old to play along with it. There were two extra scenes during the closing credits.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: Warfare
I CAN GRATEFULLY SAY MY EXPERIENCE with physical fighting has been limited to two, and they both took place prior to me graduating high school. The first one took place after my afterschool religion class, when I was ten years old. A few students from my class ganged up on me after we left the building, pelting me with snowballs and pushing me into a snow bank. i was hit in the face a couple of times which stung my eyes, causing me blurred vision. As quickly as it started, the battle ended with the students running away, their laughter trailing behind them. The second fight happened during my junior year of high school. This one was different because it could be argued I started it. There was a boy in my PE class who constantly picked on me and my friends with the help of his buddies. It got to the point where I was skipping class, hiding in the lunchroom. One day I was more depressed and angry than usual. During our break between periods, I was standing outside of my chemistry class, knowing full well this bully usually walked by on the way to his class. Sure enough, I saw him walking down the hallway towards me. As he got closer he called me a derogatory name. Something snapped in me and I said with a sneer, “What did you say?” He came closer and repeated it to me. I called him a name and dared him to come right up to my face and say it again. He did and I started punching him with all my might. In my mind, I kept telling myself do not get hit because I would start crying. I CANNOT TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW long i kept hitting him, mostly in the head, because i blacked out from rage during the battle. All I remember was seeing a crowd of students forming around us as I kept hitting him. As quickly as I started the fight, I stopped dead cold, turned around and walked back to my seat in the classroom. He stood at the door and yelled at me that he would see me in the locker room. I noticed his face was a bright shade of red and wondered if I had caused it. My best friend who was my lab partner literally had his mouth open just staring at me. He finally asked me what happened and all I could muster up was telling him I was not sure; but, did not know how to avoid the locker room tomorrow. For the rest of the school day and all through the night I worried over what would happen to me if I walked into the locker room to get ready for PE. The world must work in mysterious ways because as I walked out of my first period class the next day, the bully I had beaten up was walking by. He saw me and repeated his threat; however, this time I got close to him and told him what I would do to him in the locker room when we had PE later that day. I cannot repeat what I said, but let me just say I told him I was going to rip something off his body and shove it down his throat. And guess what, he never showed up in the locker room or for our class. If only fights could be so simply solved, people would not have to suffer like they did in this action, war docudrama. A GROUP OF NAVY SEALS IN Iraq, on a surveillance mission, are holed up in a family’s home. They soon sense something is not right. With D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Hell of a Summer, Reservation Dogs-TV) as Ray, Will Poulter (The Score, We’re the Millers) as Erik, Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun-TV, Calm with Horses) as Elliott, Joseph Quinn (Overlord, Gladiator II) as Sam, and Aaron Mackenzie (Lockdowners, Sunray: Fallen Soldier) as Kelly; this drama was written and directed by two war veterans who used their memories for this script. I have seen war films before, but I have never experienced anything like this picture. There was no time for character development (it did not matter), nor putting a Hollywood spin on the story; this was an intense battle that left me breathless. I honestly cannot say I was entertained per se, however, what I can say is I saw a whole new dimension of war. The intensity bordered on brutal, suffice to say there were many scenes with blood and violence. Seeing this movie has certainly put a whole new perspective on fighting a war, and one would think this film could give one pause before taking any kind of action to be a participant. I am glad i saw this picture, but I have to say it was not an easy watch.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: G20
LIKE THE FAMILY MEMBERS BEFORE ME, I can walk into a room and see everything all at once. From a painting hanging ever so slightly crooked on a wall, to a speck of glitter on the floor, I have this ability to see things that other people do not see. The reason I am telling you this is because what I am about to say is only meant as an observation, not a judgment or to be critical. We attended an out of state wedding, where the reception was being held in one of the town’s three hotels. The lobby looked like it had been the set for an old TV western; the dull black and white tiled floor, the chandelier that looked like it had three tiers of wagon wheels with hurricane lamps perched on them, dark wood paneling and a high front desk that i swore looked like it had originally been used as a bar. Once entering the room where the reception was being held, I noticed a couple of drapery panels covering the windows were crooked, with one pleat dangling off of its hook that was hanging from the curtain rod. I saw a spot on the wall that must have been patched to cover up a hole, but the paint used was not from the same color shade, so it looked like the wall had been bruised. The buffet table had four chafing dishes but the silver was dull and unpolished. One of the plates I grabbed was chipped, and for me the worst thing was the spoon I took from the silverware tray was not clean. For me these details take away from the fantasy one wants around their wedding. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER THINGS I noticed, like the restroom running out of hand soap, that I found distracting. However, none of it mattered once the bride and groom entered the room. Both of them were dazzling; her in a white full length gown that bustled out from the waist, giving off a fairy princess vibe. The groom wore a dark gray tuxedo with a pink bowtie and cummerbund to match the bride’s bouquet. Everything in the room faded into the background; the brightness and love emanating from them was so strong I was sure everyone in the room could feel it. I forgot about all the little distractions because none of it meant anything, as it should. The main focus was the newly married couple and being a witness to the love they shared and to the joy they both felt. This is exactly the way I wound up looking at this action thriller. EXPECTING TO ONLY DEFEND HER AGENDA at the G20 summit, the President of the United States found herself defending her family and the attending world leaders when terrorists stormed the resort where the summit was being held. With Viola Davis (Air, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as President Danielle Sutton, Anthony Anderson (The Departed, Black-ish-TV) as Derek Sutton, Ramon Rodriguez (The One and Only Ivan, Will Trent-TV) as Agent Manny Ruiz, Marsai Martin (Fantasy Football, Black-ish-TV) as Serena Sutton, and Anthony Starr (Guy Ritchie’s the Covenant, The Boys-TV) as Rutledge; the story line for this film was compelling and had a couple of good ideas within it. However, the script was all over the place with some far-fetched, crazy scenes that diminished the characters’ authenticity. Without a doubt if the movie studio had not cast EGOT winner Viola Davis this picture would have landed with a thud. However, with Viola in the lead role, she was magnetic, tough and perfect in every scene. She is the reason I wound up enjoying this film as much as I did. Call me crazy but I could easily see her becoming the female version of Liam Neeson, by being the tough”gal” character. Because of her, I believe the rest of the cast had to step up their game to try and match her level of acting. The fight scenes were well done, despite believing Viola’s stand-in was taking on the heavy lifting during the action scenes. This movie wound up being entertaining and i appreciated the effort that was put into the making of this picture. There were several scenes of blood and violence.
2 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: A Working Man
DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR it, just ask anyone who knows me. When it comes to determination, where I have my mind set, I do not give up. A perfect example just happened last week. I had to call a government agency since I was not getting the answers I needed online. After going through multiple automated prompts on my telephone call, I was given the option to wait for customer service. I agreed to wait by pressing “one” on the keypad and the auto attendant said the wait would be one hundred ten minutes. I was prepared for such an outrageous number since I tried the week before and the message said since the wait time was over one hundred twenty minutes, no more calls were being accepted, to try back later in the week. So, with the clock counting down, I turned on the speakerphone option on my phone and exercised for an hour. Through the hour I heard repeats of various recorded messages that did not require me to do anything except wait. After I finished exercising, I showered while keeping the phone on the floor next to the shower stall in case I heard a human voice; but, I was not expecting to hear it. When I finished showering, drying off, and dressing; I decided to have lunch. And after I finished eating and washing the dishes, I sat and read for a bit. At three hours and five minutes, I finally heard from a live human voice. I ask you, how many of you would have waited that long? I was not going to give up until I spoke to someone. THIS TYPE OF DETERMINATION IS SOMETHING I believe I was born with. I can remember when I was a little kid playing with building blocks; I could sit for hours until I used every block to build a castle or some type of large building or fortress. Depending on what I was doing, my determination would remain strong even if I had to step away from what I was doing for a couple of hours or days; however, my mind remained active in trying to solve whatever I wanted to accomplish, and come back to the task refreshed and just as determined as when I first started. Though aging and maturity showed me not everyone had my level of determination, it did not stop me from pushing the members in my class to keep going and not give up. I would break down my movements into parts, allowing the members to choose the level of intensity that was best for them. Next, I would encourage them to try to go an extra thirty or sixty seconds the closer we got to the end of a song. I felt I was fortunate, because the members who attended my classes always gave 100% of themselves to their exercising. That type of determination, which I greatly appreciated, was similar to the determination I saw from the main character in this dramatic, action thriller. A CONSTRUCTION WORKER’S QUIET LIFE IS shattered when his boss’ daughter goes missing. With the training he received from his previous career, the worker makes a promise to his boss that he will get his daughter back. By making that promise, he knows he can never give up and he will not until the daughter is returned safely home. With Jason Statham (The Meg franchise, The Beekeeper) as Levon Cade, Jason Flemyng (Black Dog, Touchdown) as Wolo Kolisnyk, Merab Ninidze (Conclave, Without Remorse) as Yuri, Michael Pena (Unstoppable, A Million Miles Away) as Joe Garcia, and David Harbour (Black Widow, Violent Night) as Gunny Lefferty; this script with one of the writers being Sylvester Stallone, was a bare bones, no nonsense fight fest. There were no surprises as everything followed a typical Jason Statham movie model. The fight scenes were well orchestrated and I felt the main story line helped greatly to keep audience members engaged as long as they were in the mood to witness such battles. There was no humor, fun, or deep drama within any of the scenes; it was strictly a bloody violent film that was made for Jason’s well known persona—a tough guy who can beat the crap out of anyone.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: I Am Raquel Welch
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE was in a class of mine. I had seen her in the school’s cafeteria on the few occasions I ate lunch at school. By most students’ standards, she was classified as being beautiful. The reason I knew this was because the school’s rumor mill was always busier in the beginning of a new school year. I, myself, thought she was beautiful; however, the main reason she was being talked about was because of her brains. I had heard she was exceptionally smart and students were already predicting she would be the class valedictorian. Personally, it did not matter to me whether she was smart or not, pretty or not; I only hoped she was a nice, friendly person. Our class together was European history; a subject I enjoyed. On my own and before I even knew i was taking the class, I had read books on the different royal families, from England to Russia. Having had relatives who served in the military during World War II, I grew up hearing all kinds of stories about their time overseas, so was interested in getting more facts about their time there. I did not necessarily think I was going to be the smartest in class, but I did feel I could hold my own in any type of group discussions or tests. Within the first several weeks it was apparent to the teacher, as well as the students, that this beautiful girl was smart. Not that she was the type who immediately raised her hand to answer every question the teacher asked, but she displayed extremely thoughtful counterpoints to the teacher’s discussions on various topics. i was quite impressed with her. FOR THE REST OF THE SCHOOL year and all of my future educational classes, I used that girl as the example of having the looks but not flaunting them and having the knowledge but not showing off. I can recall being in a discussion group with her and how impressed I was when she would challenge a fellow student’s argument about a certain subject. She was never one to yell or accuse someone of being wrong; she would systematically work on breaking down the person’s false narratives, making a point of explaining the reasons, and she never ever made things personal like some of the other students did in class. At one point, when everyone was meeting with a guidance counselor to narrow down what we wanted to be or study in college, I thought her counselor would certainly tell her she should become a lawyer. She had the manner, the temperament, and obviously had the brains. Not to be judgmental or snarky, but her combination of beauty and brains confused students who were higher in the social standings of the student body, for example the players on the school’s major sports teams, the jocks and cheerleaders. They did not know how to approach or handle her. One could say the same thing about the actress in this fascinating documentary. RAQUEL WELCH (THE THREE MUSKETEERS, FANTASTIC VOYAGE), was a trailblazing actress who broke barriers which enabled many actors after her to flourish in their careers. Yet, most people only remember her outfit in the film, One Million Years B.C. I happened to see this film long after it debuted. From what I remember, I thought she looked different than many actresses because she was not the “blond bombshell’ type and she looked to me like she had the figure of a Barbie doll. From this documentary directed by Olivia Cheng (Dinner with Dex, Warrior-TV), i learned so much more about Raquel through her own voice and those who worked with her or were considered her friend like the costume designer Bob Mackie and actor Eugenio Derbez (Instructions Not Included, Overboard). She was a single mother, who worked hard to provide for her family, while redefining the world’s idea of a Hollywood “Sex Symbol.” In addition, she accomplished things that no actress had ever done. I enjoyed watching this movie and loved the way the director went between interviews and archival footage. With the director presenting a well-rounded story about a misunderstood actress, I was thoroughly entertained and at the same time learned why Raquel had an important place in Hollywood history.
3 stars
moviejoltz 